**1. Introduction**

Mountains, water, forests, fields, lakes and grass are communities shared by all life on Earth [1]. This fact emphasizes the inseparable interactions between the agricultural and ecological elements of landscapes [2]. However, In order to guarantee food security, the Chinese government requires that a certain amount of arable land must be maintained [3]. At the same time, in order to guarantee the ecological security of the land, it also requires that areas with important ecological functions be included in the protection [4]. These tensions, if not managed properly, can accentuate land-use conflicts between agricultural space and ecological space, and the conflicts caused by land resource shortages and single-use lands are increasing, especially in ecologically fragile areas. When land-use management in a certain region fails to integrate economic development, food security and ecological protection, imbalances in land use structure and regional landscape patterns emerge. These imbalances manifest as spatial conflicts caused by land users competing for land resources out of different interests [5]. Currently, more than 50 countries have pledged to protect 30% of the planet's land and sea area by 2030. Therefore, it is significant to study and identify land-use conflicts in agricultural and ecological spaces to coordinate human–land balanced relationships for green, coordinated and sustainable regional development.

**Citation:** Zhang, J.; Chen, Y.; Zhu, C.; Huang, B.; Gan, M. Identification of Potential Land-Use Conflicts between Agricultural and Ecological Space in an Ecologically Fragile Area of Southeastern China. *Land* **2021**, *10*, 1011. https://doi.org/10.3390/ land10101011

Academic Editors: Dong Jiang, Jinwei Dong and Gang Lin

Received: 9 August 2021 Accepted: 24 September 2021 Published: 26 September 2021

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Land-use conflict mainly refers to the contradiction between interest groups in the process of land use due to the multiple functional demands of social development or the industry objectives and the resulting functional utilization conflicts [6]. Early studies on land-use conflicts mainly focused on qualitative analysis. The commonly used qualitative analysis methods include the participatory survey method [7–9], logical framework method [10,11], game theory analysis method [12–14] and other methods. The application of the participatory survey method in domestic outdoor surveys began in the 1990s, which is characterized by a high degree of participation and acceptance by the population, and the use of the participatory survey method can analyze land-use conflicts. The participatory survey method can analyze the emergence and resolution of land use conflicts from internal mechanisms [15]. The logical framework approach is an evaluation method proposed by the United States in the 1970s, which in essence shows the causal links between things, with particular emphasis on the role of indicators of project objectives and the initial participation of stakeholders. The logical framework approach enables the initial measurement and hypothesis testing of land-use conflicts [16]. Game theory focuses on the decision-making behavior of decision makers as "rational people" to maximize their own benefits in the process of land use and thus explains the underlying mechanism of land-use conflicts [17]. Although qualitative analysis methods can help us understand land-use conflict mechanisms and resolution strategies, it is difficult to measure land-use conflicts quantitatively [18].

In recent years, many scholars with different professional backgrounds and research perspectives have conducted extensive research on the identification of land use conflicts, and some quantitative analysis methods have been proposed. Commonly used quantitative analyses include pressure-state-response (PSR) [19,20], statistical regression analysis [21,22], multicriteria evaluation [23,24], and spatial analysis [7,25]. The PSR approach is essentially used to show the linkage between humans and nature, and it is used in the assessment of ecological safety and sustainable use of land to clearly understand the occurrence, development and transformation of things in a complex and changing environment and has basic systemic and integrity characteristics [26]. Statistical regression analysis is used to interpret the structural and quantitative evolution of land use and to make reasonable assumptions about the drivers that may affect changes in the future [27,28]. The multicriteria evaluation method is more flexible than the above methods and mainly focuses on multicriteria decision making. The resolution of land-use conflicts is a long-term and comprehensive process, and the use of this method can play a better role in mitigating land use conflicts [29,30]. The spatial analysis method diagnoses the spatial distribution pattern of land-use conflicts in the region by establishing land-use conflict data, identifying land use conflicts, and displaying land use conflict results on land use-related data through the GIS (geographic information system) function [31,32]. This method can quickly achieve the quantification and precision of land-use conflicts and is more suitable for the research and analysis of land-use conflicts in hilly areas.

Research on land-use conflicts in China started late. The relevant theories still need to be refined, the technical methods are not advanced, and there is a lack of a reliable scientific basis and objective evaluation criteria. In addition, the current research fields are mostly in large areas such as plain cities. Less attention has been given to hilly areas, and the existing studies do not reflect the influence of topographic features of hilly areas on land use conflicts.

Based on the theories of human–land relationships, landscape ecology and ecosystem balance, this study used spatial analysis with GIS, landscape ecological risk assessment and spatial autocorrelation analysis to explore land-use conflicts. Lin'an District, located in Hangzhou in the hilly areas of northern Zhejiang, was taken as a representative example. First, a model for land-use conflict measurement was constructed to identify the land-use conflicts between agricultural space and ecological space. Second, spatial autocorrelation and topographic gradient characteristics were analyzed. Finally, several trade-off mechanisms involved in land-use conflicts were proposed.
